Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.

When you begin to see that your enemy is suffering, that is the beginning of insight.

The teaching of the Buddha is based on two truths: conventional truth and ultimate truth. Without understanding the relationship between these two, the deeper meaning of the Buddha's teaching cannot be understood.

Love is not a feeling. It's a capability.

The mind is intrinsically empty. It's empty of all that we perceive as being intrinsically "me" and "mine."

The path of practice requires both faith and wisdom, both devotion and understanding.

The knowledge of dissolution comes when you see both the noting mind and noted object dissolving together.

When things fall apart and we're on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretize.

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.

In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light.

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation.

We deal with our mind from morning until evening, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

The essence of Buddhism is not a belief system but a systematic investigation of our experience.

Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.

The great gift of meditation is that it returns us to the simplicity of our own being.

Meditation is not about trying to change ourselves. Meditation is about being aware of what is.

The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.

Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now. Don't try to figure anything out. Don't try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest.

The trouble is, you think you have time.

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

The essence of the teaching is emptiness and compassion. Without emptiness, compassion can become attachment. Without compassion, emptiness can become cold and distant.

The more we understand our mind, the more we understand the world.

Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.

The development of wisdom does not occur in isolation but requires the cultivation of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.

The practice of metta begins with oneself, for only when we have developed loving-kindness towards ourselves can we truly offer it to others.

As long as our orientation is toward perfection or success, we will never learn about unconditional friendship with ourselves, nor will we find compassion.

Even if you speak of 'understanding,' this understanding is not a matter of knowledge. It is what fills the entire body and mind.

To what shall I compare this life? It is like a boat that left at dawn, leaving no trace.

Zen is not necessarily against words, but it is well aware of their limitations.